Short Course Overview

Cal Poly’s summer short course on polymers and coatings brings together
academic and industrial experts in the field. The one-week course
covers many aspects of coating technology with emphasis on liquid
coatings, both waterborne and solvent-based. Participants benefit from
discussions of VOC and air quality aspects of coatings by experts in both
industry and government regulatory agencies. Participants are expected
to have had some exposure to the coatings field along with working
knowledge in chemistry and other sciences. The course will convene at
8:00 AM on Monday and end at 12:00 noon on Friday.

Polymers & Coatings Winter Short Course
Registration Fees

Registration Fees Include: 

- Hard & Soft Copies of Handouts
- Daily Refreshments
- Lunch Monday-Thursday

Early Bird Registration is available until January 8, 2027. 

Early Bird Registration: $1,900
Regular Registration $2,000

Parking Permits are required on campus. *A parking link to purchase permits will be provided*

Polymers & Coatings Winter Short Course
Daily Schedule

Monday, February 15, 2027

8:00–10:00 AM
Welcome & Introductions; Workshop Overview, Coating Industry, Formulation Overview - Ray Fernando (Cal Poly)

10:00–10:30 AM - Break

10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Resin Technologies - Overview, Solvent, 2K - Leslie Hamachi (Cal Poly)

12:00–1:00 PM - Lunch

1:00–3:00 PM - Pigments and Fillers - James Criniti (Chemours)

3:00–3:15 PM - Break

3:15–5:00 PM
Resin Technologies - Waterborne, Opaque Polymers - Pat Hartnett (Dow Chemical)

Tuesday, February 16, 2027

8:00–9:00 AM
Basics of Coating Rheology – Viscosity & Viscoelasticity - Ray Fernando (Cal Poly)

9:00–10:00 AM
Pigment Dispersants for Coatings - Matt Dunn (Lubrizol)

10:00–10:30 AM - Break

10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Color and Appearance - Jim Macdonald (BYK)

12:00–1:00 PM - Lunch

1:00–3:00 PM
Coating Ingredient Effects on Rheology Coating Application & Rheology Testing
Ray Fernando (Cal Poly)

3:00–3:30 PM - Break

3:30–5:00 PM
Additives and Their Applications in Coatings - TBD (BYK)

Wednesday, February 17, 2027

8:00–9:00 AM
Film Formation & Curing - Erik Sapper (Cal Poly)

9:00–10:30 AM
Modern Methods of Surface Analysis - Leslie Hamachi (Cal Poly)

10:30–11:00 AM - Break

11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Polymer Characterization - MW, Spectroscopy - Shanju Zhang (Cal Poly)

12:30–1:00 PM - Lunch

1:00–4:00 PM
Tour of Western Coatings Technology Center Facilities - Ray Fernando (Cal Poly)

Thursday, February 18, 2027

8:00–9:00 AM
Epoxy Coatings - Shiying Zheng (Evonik)

9:00–9:15 AM - Break

9:15–10:45 AM
Polyurethanes and UV/Radiation Cure Technology - TBD

10:45–11:00 AM - Break

11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Application, Wetting, Spreading - TBD (Krüss)

12:00–1:00 PM - Lunch

1:00–2:00 PM
Colloid Characterization Methods - Leslie Hamachi (Cal Poly)

2:00–2:15 PM - Break

2:15–3:15 PM
VOC/Air Quality Regulations, Analysis & Measurement - Erik Sapper (Cal Poly)

3:15–3:30 PM - Break

3:30–4:45 PM
Formulating for the Environment - Molly Burns (Dunn-Edwards) & Wally Kesler (Dunn-Edwards)

Friday, February 19, 2027

8:00–9:00 AM
Specialty Fillers - Scott Van Remortel (Covia)

9:00–10:00 AM
VOC Compliant Resin & Colorant Technologies - Pat Lutz (EPS Materials)

10:00–10:30 AM - Break

10:30–11:30 AM
Coating Service Life Prediction - Erik Sapper (Cal Poly)

11:30 AM–12:00 PM
Course Review, Wrap-Up & Evaluations - Ray Fernando (Cal Poly)

Travel Accommodations

San Luis Obispo is in California's Central Coast region, 200 miles north of Los Angeles and 230 miles south of San Francisco. 

Participants who wish to drive from the Los Angeles or San Francisco areas should take Route 101. 

All major airlines offer services to San Luis Obispo Airport (SBP) with connecting flights from Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. 

For lodging information and hotel recommendations, please visit the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce: Visit SLO. 

Lodging is not included in the program fee.